It is known, in particular for use in tire construction, to link (couple) live, preferably live alkali-terminated polymers based on conjugated dienes or based on conjugated dienes and vinylaromatic compounds with organic or inorganic compounds which are suitable for this purpose. It is also known that the processing properties and the physical and dynamic properties, preferably those connected with the rolling resistance of tires are thereby improved.
WO 01/23467 A1 and JP 7 330 959 A2 disclose rubber mixtures for the production of tire treads which contain, inter alia, diene rubbers which have been coupled with polyfunctional compounds containing two or more epoxide groups. Although according to the two patent publications mentioned the physical properties, in particular the rolling resistance, of the tires produced are improved with the aid of the rubber mixtures described therein, it has been found, however, that it is possible to improve further the physical properties and the processing properties of the rubber mixtures described in the two patent publications using specific coupled and modified polymers based on conjugated dienes or conjugated dienes and vinylaromatic compounds. Co-pending German Patent Application No. 10 217 800.3 discloses coupled diene polymers.
It has now been found that the coupled and modified diene polymers described in the German patent application mentioned can be improved further in their physical properties, in particular in respect of the rolling resistance, if the highly branched and coupled diene polymers described in more detail below are used for the production of tires, preferably for the production of tire treads.